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Magnesium Fertilization Improves Crop Yield in Most Production Systems: A Meta-Analysis

Authors :
Zheng Wang
Mahmood Ul Hassan
Faisal Nadeem
Liangquan Wu
Fusuo Zhang
Xuexian Li
Source :
Frontiers in Plant Science, Vol 10 (2020)
Publication Year :
2020
Publisher :
Frontiers Media S.A., 2020.

Abstract

Magnesium deficiency is a frequently occurring limiting factor for crop production due to low levels of exchangeable Mg (ex-Mg) in acidic soil, which negatively affects sustainability of agriculture development. How Mg fertilization affects crop yield and subsequent physiological outcomes in different crop species, as well as agronomic efficiencies of Mg fertilizers, under varying soil conditions remain particular interesting questions to be addressed. A meta-analysis was performed with 570 paired observations retrieved from 99 field research articles to compare effects of Mg fertilization on crop production and corresponding agronomic efficiencies in different production systems under varying soil conditions. The mean value of yield increase and agronomic efficiency derived from Mg application was 8.5% and 34.4 kg kg-1 respectively, when combining all yield measurements together, regardless of the crop type, soil condition, and other factors. Under severe Mg deficiency (ex-Mg < 60 mg kg-1), yield increased up to 9.4%, nearly two folds of yield gain (4.9%) in the soil containing more than 120 mg kg-1 ex-Mg. The effects of Mg fertilization on yield was 11.3% when soil pH was lower than 6.5. The agronomic efficiency of Mg fertilizers was negatively correlated with application levels of Mg, with 38.3 kg kg-1 at lower MgO levels (0–50 kg ha-1) and 32.6 kg kg-1 at higher MgO levels (50–100 kg ha-1). Clear interactions existed between soil ex-Mg, pH, and types and amount of Mg fertilizers in terms of crop yield increase. With Mg supplementation, Mg accumulation in the leaf tissues increased by 34.3% on average; and concentrations of sugar in edible organs were 5.5% higher compared to non-Mg supplemented treatments. Our analysis corroborated that Mg fertilization enhances crop performance by improving yield or resulting in favorable physiological outcomes, providing great potentials for integrated Mg management for higher crop yield and quality.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1664462X
Volume :
10
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Frontiers in Plant Science
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.750a90cfa6bb47a7b594b1a08ce13a5c
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.01727